A Pirate's Life
by eiyria
Summary: Pirate AU: Esther is a captain of a pirate ship, whose thought she'd seen everthing there was to see of the land and ocean. However, when a strange silverhaired man is found in a lifeboat, her adventure has only just begun No Pairings ...Chapter 11 up.
1. Chapter 1

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Pirate AU:

In one of the bottom tiers of a boat a young man with cascading silver hair lay on his side whimpering as the mighty ship rocked back and forth in synch with the pounding tides. His eyes were squeezed shut in painful anguish as he held his stomach in an attempt to quell his growing hunger.

"I'm soooo hungry," the young man whined softly. He curled into the fetal position trying to fight off the sickening hunger that radiated from his belly. Just as his knees reached a position under his chin, the man felt the tug of his shackles tighten and pull him back. Red streaks marked his wrists and ankles where the handcuffs and shackles had eaten raw into his pale skin.

Before the normally sickening movement of the ship could rock the man's fragile body to sleep, he distinctly heard a yell alarming the ship's crew of attack. Although the man below could not see the action, he could hear it and the vibrant noise roused him from his respite.

"Hold the line men!" One man shouted, "We're under attack!" The young one below heard the cries of men being cut down and the young boys being slaughtered. The man fought back a small giggle of glee, reminding himself that such thoughts were wrong and immoral. _What would Lilith say?_

"Were you able to identify the enemy?!" shouted the voice whom the silver-haired one immediately recognized as the captain of the ship.

"Sir!" the man yelled. "It's the Rosen Kruez Orden, sir! We are under attack by the followers of Contra Mundi!"

There was a pause in the yelling, and the silver-haired man waited apprehensively. Finally a voice rang out- the captain's- "Blow the Ship." A deep silence followed, and the young man chained to the bottom of the ship panicked.

He let out a scream as his tired and sore appendages pulled against the metal chains that held him captive. Tears stinging the corners of his eyes he put all his weight and will into ripping free of his confines.

He did not let up at all, even when he could distinctly feel the chain clasps break free from the walls. Still the man, whose eyes wept of wisdom beyond his age, pulled against the chains till he heard metal rip free from wood. His sore skin and muscles burning beyond all reason slowly lifted his tired and worn body up the stairwell and on to the deck where he promptly collapsed in a lifeboat, indefinitely asleep.

Behind the collapsed figure a fire raged on water as the once mighty ship burned to the ground and the smell of ash soaked the man's cloths.

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"Captain Esther!" someone called from the rafters, "Come quickly!"

Esther turned towards the sound, sheathing her sword and strapping down her large gun in place around her waist-belt. Wondering what it could possibly be at such an hour she turned towards the stairs. Most ship captains would not wake for such a thing, but Esther had a deep conviction towards her men. When she pulled herself up the stairs and onto the deck she wasn't at all surprised that it was still dark. However, a small amount of light highlighted the horizon as if lightly announcing the sun's appearance.

Esther took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the rich scent of the morning ocean. The salty feel of it all soothed her taunt body. Pausing for a moment she turned to the one who had called her.

"Ion, it is readily becoming morning, why haven't you turned in yet?" she questioned him in a polite, but serious tone. "Virgil Walsh should be on duty now - is that correct?"

"Yes, but Esther" the blond youth began...

"No 'buts'" she condoned lightly. "You know very well Ion that I run a tight ship around here. You cannot simply do overtime for idle reasons!" Breathlessly she stood back, her hands on her hips and her eyes filled with resolve.

"I apologize captain, however I discovered something that may concern you." Standing slowly he pointed behind himself to a dirty and breaking lifeboat. "I saw it floating earlier and brought it up to better inspect it." The boy ran over to the lifeboat which rested against the side of the massive ship, secured by ropes.

Esther strode behind him to get a closer look. "Ion, you can tell better than anyone that this lifeboat is destroyed beyond repair, there was no need to bring it up." Esther's voice took on a small tone of annoyance.

The boy looked at her before returning to his work. "It wasn't the boat I was concerned with." Slowly he drew back a dry blanket revealing a person.

Esther gasped slightly - completely caught off guard. Before her lay the sleeping form of a tall and incredibly skinny man in about his early twenties. His silver hair was wet and matted, intertwined with seaweed and dead bugs. His face was pale with almost a greenish tint. "Oh my word!"

In her stupor, Ion continued. "I was afraid to move him because he looked so fragile, so I laid a dry blanket over him and called you immediately."

"I take back my accusations from before, Ion. I want you to go get the wanted criminal that we have in our cell. Wake Virgil and Mary on your way down and have them assist you. Virgil will take over so that you can turn in. I may just be too hopeful, but perhaps we can convince the criminal Dietrich von Lohengrin to help him. Even though that man is a merciless killer, he still has some medical experience." Exhausted already, Esther sat down on a crate, tiredly resting her head in her hands.

She didn't need to look. After all, she could easily hear the pounding footsteps of the boy as he raced from the deck. She looked over at the man curled in the bottom of the boat. "Who knows," she whispered, "Maybe you may just get to live."

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Author's Note: Trinity Blood is really hard to write for. Because the Novel is ahead of both the manga and anime, you cannot speculate very much without getting flammed. Anyways, this is the edited version of chapter 1. I would like to thank each and every single one of you for reading this. Here are the chapter stats:

Time: 2 hours (Excluding breaks, eating, etc.)

Words:Originally 406, extended to 1011.

Once again, thank you for reading. If you feel like it, I would enjoy a review or two to see if I should continue. I probably will, but it would be easier with a little support.


	2. Chapter 2

Virgil Walsh eyed the beautiful brunette boy suspiciously as 'Bloody' Mary loomed ominously over the boy's kneeled form. Her gun's muzzle rudely pressed into the back of the boy's head. Not once did the two remove their eyes. Despite appearances, their captive, Dietrich von Lohengrin, was a cold blooded killer who would and could take advantage of any opportunity given to them.

Their captain sat across from them on a wooden crate. Her arms were crossed and she had one leg on top of her knee. Anyone could tell that her whole being radiated a self-confidence that wouldn't allow her to settle for anything less than the best. Virgil recalled the time when she had controlled the Albion Navy, the times of the 'lady-saint-Esther'. Through his serious stare he couldn't help but break a smile.

"Dietrich, you have medical training –correct?" It really wasn't a question, more of an introduction leading into what she was about to explain. Dietrich was smart and caught on quickly.

"Oh, are you in need of my medical expertise ~Esther~?" His feral lips curled into an angelic smile painted with the makings of the devil. She froze momentarily, but maintained composure. The prisoner licked his lips in glee. He always made sure to accentuate her name when he said it; she fascinated him at times and he couldn't help but feel the possessiveness over his playthings. He also knew Esther hated how he said that, how it made her remember his betrayal.

Biting down to control her raging emotions mixed with hate, sadness, and hope, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her eyes resettled themselves in a hard way against her enemy.

"A man washed up on my ship this morning. From what I can tell he is in critical condition. I simply want you to look at him and see if there is any chance for his survival. If not, I do not need to waste anymore time." Esther finished and closed her lips waiting for a response.

"pshh," Dietrich spat, "You're no better at lying than you once were. You cannot hide your emotions from me…~Esther." Never breaking eye contact he watched her face carefully in hopes that she would shudder or show some form of weakness. When he saw none he continued, "You want me to heal this man."

Esther stood up from her position on the crate. She figured that if she said yes, he would refuse in some sly manner to break her heart. On the contrary, if she said no, it would be evident that she was lying, and psychological torture would follow her whenever she had to face him. Gracefully she walked over to the lifeboat and pulled back the blanket. Mary maneuvered Dietrich's head to look in her captain's position, gun still pressed tightly to the boy's head.

When Dietrich saw the silvery strands of hair and the crumpled figure he almost let his jaw drop. There was silence. There was no mistaking it: the man in the boat who's features mimicked those of his leader was definitely the one his organization had been after. His eyes flashed to Esther, trying desperately to be able to read her face. He could tell she didn't know anything about the situation and thanked lady luck for it. Realizing the silence had extended for an unnaturally long time, he attempted to make conversation to throw off suspicion…after all, the RCO wanted this man alive preferably. "How sad…"

Dietrich began to slowly move closer to the barely-breathing creature. He froze when he heard the safety on Mary's gun click.

"Mary." That was all Esther had to say, and her subordinate pushed Dietrich's head forward with the nub of her gun. She never lowered it for a second, but allowed for the boy to approach the quiet being.

The brunette approached the boat's side grabbing a near-by towel and began to pad at the figure's face. It was extraordinarily pale. Slowly the boy began to strip of layers of black clothing off of the figure. It was a uniform of sorts, but it was wet and needed to be rid of.

Carefully under the watchful eye of his captives, he rolled the older man on his side, wrapped his arms around the other's diaphragm, and pushed, pumping a stream of water out of the man's airways. When he called to Virgil to help hoist the man out of the boat and into one of the beds below-deck, Mary's gun seemed to rise a little higher. Below deck in the dimmed light he turned behind him.

"Are you sure you had medical training? He doesn't look any better than when we found him. Maybe a little…I don't know… dryer?"

Dietrich suppressed a laugh. "He seems to have lost a lot of blood. I think it would be best if you got one of your crew to give him a blood transfusion. I do not know how, but it is evident that he has lost quite a bit of it." He smiled craftily, "He might also be hungry."

"This isn't some trick to weaken my crew's defenses so that you can escape is it?" She eyed him like a wild dog before breaking a smile, "Because punishment for that would be far worse than imprisonment. Perhaps, I would be head of executing you myself."

"No Mam'," the boy answered in a sly tongue.

"Virgil," Esther snapped to her subordinate, "Fetch Ion and see if he is willing to donate some blood. That boy is the most energetic of us and will be fine in the morning."

Turning on his toe to face the door, the loyal Walsh exited, leaving Mary and Esther alone with a bed-ridden patient and a murderer.

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Author's Note: Chapter Stats: Words:1012, Time Spent: 2 hours, Rating: 5/10

Please read...enjoy...and maybe, maybe, maybe review. =)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The silver haired man started to fade back into consciousness. The memories of the prior night assaulted his mind and made his head almost feel stuffy. He couldn't think or even begin to think as the world started softly materializing behind his long silver eyelashes.

Slowly his eyes began to open and in his peripheral he could spot a small lantern giving off a dim light. He dully noted that wherever he was, it was warmer than the place he had been before. On top of all this, his wrists and ankles no longer felt the pull of metal. He slowly became aware of a mass of dark green, obviously dyed, hair covering his lower torso. It was long and straight.

Instinctively his hand rose to his chest gently grabbing a fistful of the ivy dark strands.

"Lilith…" he muttered unconsciously. And his mind wandered into a brief memory of the woman. Lilith's cascading red hair was pulled on his unconscious form. She was with him in times of pain. She was with him when he'd undergone that 'change' and was kept in sickbed because of that 'curse'. Lilith… Always there at his side, endlessly giving him strength. With motivation and a burst of energy the silver clad man rose soundlessly from his sleep.

The form beneath the ivy like hair began to stir and looked up at the patient who was now awake. "Sorry," she muttered quickly, "I didn't mean to fall asleep." A light blush seemed to flood her cheeks. She suddenly seemed to remember her manners and asked, "Have I kept you waiting long?"

The man's eyes filled with surprise that seemed almost forced, as if he had mimicked it from a caricature's expression. "No, actually, I woke up only a little while ago."

Smiling politely, the woman extended a generous hand. "Vanessa Walsh, sister of Virgil Walsh – of the Walsh family-" she managed to stutter out. It was a vain attempt at trying to establish a good impression, but it proved impossible after such a short time after waking.

Put in a slightly awkward position, the man too extended his hand, dully noting that his sore wrists had been expertly bandaged. "Abel Nightroad, pleased to be at your service."

"Well," announced Vanessa seeing as she had regained her confident composure, "I've been instructed to introduce you to the captain of this ship as soon as possible!"

"Really," Abel laughed in an almost formal manner, "I cannot wait to meet this strapping young lad."

At the sound of this, Vanessa smirked. "Whose to say," she began, " that the captain is a man?"

Abel looked at her slightly surprised. "The captain is a-"

"Yes," Vanessa cut him off, "If anything, our fearless is a lass."

* * *

"A GIRL??!!??!!"

Esther turned hear head in the direction of the yell. She didn't recognise the voice. After a minute or two a smirk began to tug at her face as she came to realize that it must be their new patient. Whatever the reason for the out-burst, Esther wondered at the back of her mind: what exactly could those two be talking about. Virgil was at the wheel with an embarrassed look plastered on his face. Esther covered her mouth and suppressed a giggle - which would have been very un-captain-like.

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Abel followed behind the Ivy-haired girl as she confidently strode through the many twists and turns of the lower decks. Abel already assumed that he was on some sort of pirate ship, but still questioned the complexity of the corridors below. "I wonder," he thought softly, "I wonder if this was an Albion ship?"

Finally Vanessa reached the top of some stairs with the patient following right behind. She jostled the knob and threw open the door. A bright light shone past her silhouetteand Abel covered his sensitiveve eyes against the bright light that shone through. He slowly dropped his arms as his eyes managed to adjust despite the pain. It seemed Vanessa was ahead of him and silently waited patiently whilst holding the door open for him.

Abel exited the lower decks, nodding in her direction to convey his thanks. Out doors the sky was immensely bright and shone with a thick cerulean color. There was nothing but ultramarine water in every direction and with his eyes he could see the curve of the horizon. His eyes widened, and he took in a deep breath of the fresh air. It had a faint sweet taste that mixed with the saltiness of the sea. Everything was so pure and beautiful he felt he could just stand, alone, like this forever.

It was a red-headed girl that woke him from his stupor. Her hair brought him back to reality, for it contrasted the ever-present blue, and was a rarity to see on the open sea. Refocusing his attention, he realized she was trying to say something.

"Vanessa tells me that you have a name." She said, "Abel Nightroad - is that correct?"

Nodding gently the priest smiled, "Yes. And what is your name little miss?"

At hearing 'little miss' the girl's expression hardened and a strange insanity took over her eyes. "Sir," she roared confidently with boldness of a Superior of four times her years, "I am the Captain of this ship! And you will hence cease to call me anything along the lines of 'little miss' or 'young lass'! Is that Clear?!"

Clearly shocked and intimidated Abel drew back. Bringing his hands in front of him defensively he countered, "Sorry, sorry litt' -ehm- I mean captain." After finishing his statement he showed a dashing smile that was almost apologetic.

"Well," the girl's features softened,"Abel Nightroad, welcome aboard the Imperial Star, pirate ship under the command of Esther Blanchett!" She grinned slyly, "I hope that you work hard and pull your fair share!"

_This Girl,_thought Abel intimidated, _This is no girl! This is a demon! She's going to suck me dry! I'm the patient for God's sake. I should be treated gently!_ Despite all the complaints that steered through his head, Abel only gave one answer: " Yes, Miss Esther, it will be a pleasure working with you."

Esther cringed at her new title, but dismissed it, seeing that her new recruit was just that sort of person.

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Author's note: I just dreamt that I was 2 hours late to work because I had thought it was 8 am vs 12 am. I was flipping out and totally scared that I would get fired.. I said a lot of mean stuff to my dad on the phone and because the house was getting repaired I couldn't find my shoes. I think it was my cell phone's vibration that woke me up. In my dream it was just me getting a call, but it was actually my alarm. I woke up like 2 seconds ago and found my alarm had gone off like 15 minutes ago. It is totally creepy how sleep makes you loose track of time. Story Stats: 1134 words.


	4. Chapter 4

It was dark out and Abel's form was bent over a mop on the deck. "ooOOHHhhhhh—" he moaned, "Why do I have to do this?" If it was even possible, his head seemed to sink lower. "I'm an ill patient, not a lap boy." The silver haired man groaned again.

A young blond youth walked up behind him, kindly placing his hand on the man's shoulder as a compassionate gesture. "Well," he began, "If you find it helpful, eventually Captain Esther would have put you to work anyways; who cares if it is a little sooner than later." The boy withdrew his hand. "Besides, Esther is an empathetic person, at least she gave you a duty even if it is cleaning." He sighed, "I mean, things could be a lot worse! You should have seen some of the things my old captain used to do to strays!"

After hearing this, Abel's eyes widened slightly. A second latter he gave a chuckle, "Ha! I guess you're right! Things could be a lot worse!"

Ion smiled softly and wondered how a person could go from spoiled complainer to a grateful happy-face in a few seconds. Mentally, he thought: _what a funny person… although, he is a bit strange_.

"Do I have something on my face?" asked Abel curiously.

"Uhhh…"Ion stepped back and dropped his eyes, immediately realizing that he had been staring. "Sorry. No. No, it's just, you looked really happy and – well, my mind sort of trailed off."

The older man cocked his head and smiled warmly, "Really…"

Ion gave a nervous laugh as he walked to the ship's mast slightly embarrassed. "There is nothing to worry about Mr. Nightroad. Nothing at all."

Meanwhile below the deck Mary closed the heavy wooden door that lead into her captain's chamber.

"Thank you Mary," the red-headed girl spoke solemnly from across the room., "Now that we are alone, there is something that I have been meaning to talk to you about."

Bloody Mary nodded her head in a gesture to continue.

"Recently, " Esther said, "As you've come to know we have a guest, of sorts, aboard." Esther's eye raised to look Mary squarely in the eyes, with unrivaled confidence. "I want to know what you think of him." Esther paused and waited attentively for her subordinate's answer.

"I can only assume we are not talking about Dietrich, but rather the silver-haired man….what was his name…A-".

"Abel Nightroad," Esther firmly cut in. "Please," her eyes demanded, "Your opinion of him."

"I do not feel as if it is my duty to impose upon you my opinions based on a single incidence." Mary said honestly.

Esther folded her hands and rested her chin on top. "I feel like he's hiding something. When I was around him earlier, it felt like we were two actors playing roles on a stage. I get the feeling he is hiding behind a mask."

Mary's expression did not change in the slightest. "You know," she began, "Most people have secrets that no one can ever know. And some secrets are so dark that they cannot be told to anyone ever. I'm sure, that you have your fair share of them as well."

"I think he is dangerous. I don't know how or why, all I know is that when I saw him my body was filled with fear. My body shook and I couldn't think at all." Esther said.

"My lady," Mary kneeled, "I had no intention of dismissing your suspicions, rather, I was simply stating the facts. I did not mean to ameliorate the situation. I know this man has his secrets, as does everyone; however, I would not put too much trust in him. People who have dark secrets are usually dangerous."

"Mary, you talk as if you know of someone like this personally. You talk as if you are this person." Esther questioned inquisitively.

Mary smiled softly as she opened the door to leave her captain's chambers. "Perhaps I am such a secretive type of person after a." She walked under the Ash door frame, "And Captain,," she called back, "Be careful, especially around that man."

Esther's confidant façade dropped for a moment, and a genuine smile broke through. "Thank you Mary."

Mary, Bloody Mary, didn't respond to this. She felt as if there were no need. Esther already knew.

The heavy wooden door wedged closed.

After several hours of contemplating how to pacify the situation, Esther headed out of her chamber and up to the deck. There stood the clumsy silver haired man mopping the deck and falling into the bucket of water; in the end, making more of a mess than originally.

"Miss Esther? What are you doing here?" The silver haired man asked with innocent curiously.

"How are you feeling Nightroad?" asked the jubulent red haired maiden.

The man looked shocked slightly. After a momentary pause he answered, "I'm feeling must fine thank you... but now that you mention it...I am feeling a bit faint."

The captain, Esther, said nothing for a moment before responding, "Anyhow, the man who was in charge of fixing you up and administering medical attention was Dietrich. He just happens to be a prisoner aboard my ship due to his awful actions against humanity." Esther took in a deep breath before continuing. "As it turns out he is the only one qualified to really assist you in any way. So, go ahead and take a fifteen minute break. Afterwords, I want you to head down to our holding cell in the lower platforms. He should be tied up in one of them, and soon after, either Mary or myself will come to supervise. Last time I spoke to him, he mentioned that you would need several more transfusions before you could continue on your own.

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Author's note: 1050 words. Sorry if something is misspelled, but I went to the eye doctor today, and am practically typing blind. I can't use the spell check because I cannot see the options, and I will fix this later...sorry. Not much happens in this chapter, but I have made you wait long enough....sorry, there is not more action... that is coming soon! I promise!


	5. Chapter 5

A thin plastic tube ran between Ion's arm and Abel's. Red liquid incrementing from one end until the other. Esther sat between the two men on a small stool. She eyed the silver haired man intently, searching his face for any trace of strange emotion.

The red headed captain could not understand it. Something about the mysterious man put her off and made a cold shiver run down her spine. Everything about him seemed fake, but strangely screamed…perfection.

Sighing slightly to herself the girl stared intimidating at the brunette German boy in front of her. He too seemed fake, but apparently made no move to hide it. Twisted like the snake and powerful like thunder, malice coated him like fur on a wolf.

The brunette smiled slyly to himself and turned to Abel. He removed the needle from the man's arm, during which the silver haired man gave a quiet and muffled whimper.

"Well Mr. Nightroad, I'm glad to say you're all done for today. However," an angelic smile broke over the devil's features, "I want to see you once every few days, just to make sure you're doing well."

Esther was a bit surprised to see Abel stand up suddenly, brushing off lint on his cloths. Giving a cheeky childish smile Abel spoke, "Thank you Dietrich. I guess I'll see you soon then."

Dietrich smiled politely as he turned to remove the needle from Ion's arm. The boy winced as the man ruthlessly pulled out the needle, obviously intending to cause pain.

"I look forward to seeing you also, Ion." And the man added with a sneer, "you're growing so quickly, soon I'm sure you'll be almost as tall as Radu ~eh."

Esther noted that the boy suddenly stiffened at the sound of the name. Esther made an effort to ignore it, knowing that any mention of _that_ person would only cause unnecessary pain. Everyone on her ship had memories that didn't need to be relived. She had given each of her crew that right to silence.

Hurriedly she readjusted the shackles on Dietrich's arms and legs, before rushing Abel and Ion up the stairs to get out of the ship's prison hold.

It annoyed her just how cheerful Abel seemed to be. There was no need to be so happy, and yet he was.

"Miss Esther, there is no need to be so hasty." The tall man protested. "Really, you could allow some fun and conversation on the ship!"

"No."

"I was only going to talk for a little bit."

"No."

"I think he might have the same preference in tea that I do!"

"NO!"

"Miss E~sther!!!"

"NO. NO. NO. –NO!" She turned heel and rounded on the man with impressive aggression. "Abel Nightroad. Regardless of whether you are a guest or a rescue on my ship, you will perform your duties that benefit my crew." She took in a deep breath before continuing, "If you are going to partake in my food supplies, my rations, and more importantly MY time, then you are damn well going to do your fair share of work. Got that!?"

The older man stared at her blankly for what seemed like a minute. Neither speaking, and Ion managed to get away from the incredibly awkward situation.

Still panting, the young captain added once again, "Do you understand what I am saying, Nightroad?!

The man continued to stare blankly at her, "You know Miss Esther, you have really great authoritative speaking power. Actually, it is quite an impressive and sought after skill. Speech is such an interesting-"

"uh." Esther slapped her palm into her temple. _This guy really is out of it_. "You know what? Just…Just get back to work Nightroad. Dinner is at sunset. Make sure your work is done before you turn in for the night."

Without another word, the captain strode off, pushing her new subordinate out of the way angrily.

Carefully, Abel removed his glasses and looked at her as she rounded the corner. His normally cheerful features were now serious and eerily daunting. When he was sure she was out of earshot, he mumbled to himself, "Esther, now I remember your face. You used to be called one of Albion's finest naval commanders." His eyes narrowed sharply.

"It seems nothing has really changed much these past hundred years. Humans are still as irrational as ever." Quickly he began to walk after her, up to the top deck to complete his duty. "Even after all these years, you pathetic Terrans are still so afraid of monsters like me." The man chuckled to himself, "Esther," he breathed, "I can smell the fear on you."


	6. Chapter 6

Esther raced up the wooden stairs to the deck. Grabbing the rails of the deck's edges, the young captain gripped them tightly. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped harder and harder. She held her head out over the ocean. She couldn't explain it, but some how she felt disgusting and sick. Her insides were doing summersaults for no apparent reason.

Logic tried to block thoughts from her mind, but eventually her gut won out. She didn't fully understand what was happening, but something about her ship's newest crew member made her sick. _No, not sick_ Esther thought to herself, _just afraid. So terribly afraid._ Her eyes widened at the thought. She was confused and couldn't understand why she felt fear, and that lack of understanding scared her even more.

She could hear Abel Nightroad clunking noisily up the wooden steps, however she ignored this and made no motion to show that she had noticed.

"Mrs. Esther" he called in his sing-song~y voice. "What are you doing over there Mrs. Esther? Are there some penguins in the sea?" His voice changed instantly to something higher and squeakier than the previous, "because I love love lo~ve penguins!"

Annoyed beyond belief, Esther could not help but forget what had previously transpired. Instead of fear, she felt only anger. Her hands clenched into fists as she twirled around. "NIGHTROAD!!!" she yelled in a throaty voice.

The man straightened his posture, one finger pointing at his face and a goofy smile adorning his facial features, "who? Little old me?" He asked in mock kindness.

Esther began to move forward, but was caught unprepared for the sail's sudden billowing. Apparently a tie was loose , and the violent push of the wind knocked over one of the barrels of gun powder.

Everything happened so fast, that the red-headed girl could not react. The barrel of gunpowder rolled quickly over the deck, hit something, and propelled itself into the air. Worse, it was on a collision course with Esther. The only thing she had time to do was open her mouth, dumbfounded, in surprise.

The barrel blotted out her sun, and she didn't even have time for fear. Instinctively she shut her eyes as tight as possible.

The first thing she noticed was the smell of the ocean. A smell that she thought she'd forgotten long ago. She felt something warm envelope her body and a smooth silence dampen nature.

"Is this heaven?" she murmured to herself.

Slowly she raised her eye lids. A bright light burned her eyes. Tears collected and fell down the curves of her face.

"I'm so sorry everybody," she said in almost a whisper.

"Mrs. Esther," a voice cut in smoothly, "Mrs. Esther!"

Opening her eyes one more time, she readjusted her vision and turned her head. She was shocked to find that she was being carried bridal style.

"Nightroad?" she questioned solemnly. "What happened?"

The black blur that had been Abel changed in her eyes. Her mouth dropped open as if to uter a silent scream. She broke out in a sweat and her eyes went wide.

"Nightroad?" She questioned a little more persistently, not really expecting an answer.

The scene before her enthralled her as much as shook her to the very bone. The young man was kneeling on the deck carrying the smaller child bridal style. He had tucked her protectively into his chest so that she would not get hurt by the impact of the gunpowder barrel.

But that wasn't what shocked her. Two dark pitch black wings cascaded like flowing hair from the young man's back. One wrapped protectively around her carried form, the other lay astray on the deck. His wing bent at a strange angle and red liquid seeping from it and staining the wood planks.

She looked at the face of the man who saved her, only to find that it was contorted in agony. Cautiously reaching out a slender hand, Esther cupped his face in her palm. Almost instinctively, like an animal, the silver-haired guest pressed into it as if seeking its warmth. Esther could not tell whether the man made that face due to the broken wing, or because she had seen what he was.

Fear. It enveloped her once again. Her fingers pulled back quickly, her face scared once again. Maybe it was the shock of being alive that had prevented her from thinking clearly, but now, she felt fear again as she logically should.

The young man's face hardened even further. Pulling back even farther Esther began stammering, "Mmm…Mmmoon-" She used her hands to push away from his warm chest.

The youth looked even more hurt, if that was even possible. He bent forward, and carefully laid her lithe body down. The second she felt the wood underneath her, she immediately began to crawl backwards.

Her face contorted as she screamed, "Mmm…MONSTER!"

Behind the monstrous form, she saw Mary reaching the top of the deck. A shot gun leveled at the attacker, finger on the trigger.

The monstrosity turned towards its attacker, crouching down and backing slowly away from the weapon's muzzle.

Mary cocked it at this small movement, seeing as it brought the thing closer towards her captain. "Stay away from her abomination! One more move and I start blowing off limbs." Despite obvious fear, Mary never once lost focus, "I can assure you that this weapon is very good at it too."

The creature let out a feral growl at its attacker. Mary's eyes narrowed as she saw long curved fangs protruding. Laying close to the ground it snarled ferociously as it raised it's good wing, trying to make itself look bigger. Mary couldn't help but notice its pained expression and the fact that it was trying to drag and hide its disfigured wing from sight.

And then, something happened that threw even Mary into shock. Unbeknown to the beast, Mary's tiny captain pushed herself back up. Being so fixated on the woman with the gun, the winged monster didn't even notice Esther behind him.

The tiny captain crept up next to the broken wing, quietly kneeling down, and then BIT down hard on it.

The monster, that was Abel Nightroad whimpered softly. Turning to look at the human who had hurt him.

Whether it was embarrassment, pain, or luck; the winged creature let out a painful cry and quickly threw itself towards the stairs behind Mary, disappearing below the deck.

The sound of painful whining could be heard by the two females on deck. One, a red headed self-assured captain with tears stinging her eyes, and the other, a woman she trusted the most.

Vanessa Walsh appeared coming up the stairs, she wore a shocked expression. "Does anyone mind telling me, what the hell was that thing?!"

"Vanessa, grab your brother and lock that thing up with Dietrich!" The Captain ordered.

"But Captain, did you see it? How are we supposed to contain it!?"

"Its injured," replied Esther, "You should have no problem shackling it."

Vanessa merely nodded and descended down the stairs, calling out for her brother.

"Captain Esther! Are you alright?!" Mary asked exasperated, finally able to direct her attention to her captain. "Did that monster hurt you any where?"

Esther contemplated the question for a moment, before she was struck with overwhelming guilt.

"No," she replied, looking downcast, "I think…I think it tried to save me!"

"Do you know what it was, or where it came from? And what do you mean it helped you?"

"I think," Esther murmured, "I think it was Abel Nightroad!"

"Whaaa-t?!" Mary looked taken aback. However after a few seconds, she seemed to regain her composure. "Well, I always knew there was something strange about him!"

"There was a gun powder barrel," Ester began, "It some how was knocked over. If **it** – I mean – If **he** hadn't been there, I would have been knocked into the ocean and sucked under the boat."

Mary took the young girl into her arms, trying to comfort her. "He…" Esther mumbled softly, "Through it all, he was always careful with me. So careful, kind, and **humane**. And…" the child's voice broke, " and, after all his kindness, I called him a monster."

Crying loudly into her subordinate, Esther could not shake off the waves of guilt that hit her like the oncoming storm.

Review Dudes! I want to see what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Shit." The bloody winged man cursed. "Shit! shit! shit!!!"

After plunging down the stairs, Abel had landed hard on his broken wing. Normally his body would be in the midst of healing itself, however, in this instance it wasn't.

"_So much blood"_ Abel thought to himself as he slowly crawled downwards, with no real destination in mind. He heard a whimper, only to realize a moment later that it had come from himself. _"I'm so pathetic."_

His body felt heavy as if it was being weighed down by an invisible force. Abel felt that sleep was encroaching upon him, still the young man struggled down the stairs, pulling his dark oversized wing carefully behind him. Then suddenly, he felt a huge pain rush from his body.

The second Virgil and Vanessa Walsh lunged at the monster the abomination's head turned around. Vanessa almost jumped back as she saw the crimson tinted eyes that bored into her. Virgil was still on top of the creature and had some how managed to shackle on of its arms and both of its legs.

The monster/Abel roared. Slightly scared Virgil lost his balance and fell heavily on the creature's dragging wing. Suddenly, there was a blood curling scream. Virgil's fall had damaged the wing even further, and furthermore had shot such intense pain that Abel had passed out.

Virgil and Vanessa stepped back together, surveying the scene. The creature before them twitched sporadically every few seconds. After a moment of repose, the two siblings crouched down and began to clasp the shackles.

Vanessa couldn't help but notice the pained look on the creature's face. His eyes were desperately pressed shut and his mouth curled in an almost permanent scowl. Still, regardless, she helped her brother haul the creature up onto their shoulders. Both of them groaning under the weight. The two continued down the stairs, two extended wings dragging behind them, and the sound of metal clanking in steady intervals.

* * *

Dietrich von Lohengrin raised his head to look in the direction of the steady clanking sound. Upon seeing _what_ Virgil and Vanessa were carrying, a smirk crossed his pristine features, warping his angelic face into that of a devil.

Shielding his smile with his hair Dietrich watched as the two siblings tied the winged creature up. They shackled his wrists and ankles together so that his limbs were so knotted it almost appeared as if he were in the fetal position. Vanessa and her brother left the room, and the creature's wings, bent and broken, tried their best to wrap around him, to fight back against the cold.

Dietrich didn't say anything, he figured he didn't need to. Because the creature, he knew as Abel, wouldn't need to hear anything about it. The beast before him needed no help in making humans repulsed. And in turn, the beast would need no help hating those humans.

"…"

Dietrich raised his head slightly in curiosity. _What did he say?_

"Stupid."

Dietrich's eyebrow arched in curiosity.

"I'm so Stupid!" Abel yelled. "Why did I save her? Ungrateful Terran! I should have let her die! I'm so stupid!"

At this Dietrich began to chuckle.

"What is _so_ funny Terran?" Abel growled angrily. He thrashed suddenly in anger at the human, and there was a loud snap. Abel's scared face looked to the side only to find to his horror that a bone protruded from his already damaged wing. "Damn it! Damn it all!"

Patiently Dietrich waited for the creature to stop thrashing about. After a few moments of periodic hissing and growling, the creature's noises somewhat subsided. It was then that Dietrich decided to speak.

"Abel," The way the words fell from his angelic lips was in an odd sing~songy voice, that could almost be termed hypnotic.

The creature raised its eyes to look at the human in front of him, giving Dietrich all his attention.

"Abel," the boy said again softly, "That wound looks like it hurts a lot." The smile appeared plastered on his face, "Would you like some of my blood. You would heal a lot quicker. – Am I right?"

Dietrich held out his hand and showed him a nail and a bobby pin. "After I pick this lock, I'll come over there and feed you, and you can get revenge on the pitiful fools who did this to you."

Abel felt almost enticed by those words. The need was growing stronger in him. Abel watched as The German boy managed to pick his locks till all his hands and feet were completely clear of the shackles.

Slowley, Dietrich clenched the nail and slowly drew it across the inside of his wrist, in one vertical line. Red liquid bubbled to the surface and coupled at the top of the cut.

Abel was unable to look away. He was so hungry, so wounded, and so weak that his body was forcing him towards the saving liquid. Instinctively Abel's mouth opened, and his fangs extended, unable to wait a second longer. His tongue too was extended in expectation.

The boy, Dietrich approached cautiously. He wrapped his arm around and grabbed a tuff of Abel's silver hair. Holding the head back, he slid his cut wrist just outside Abel's biting range. The silver haired man's tongue was just long enough and managed to lap up the spilling stream. Finally, when the young man looked like he had regained some composure, he was allowed the wrist to be closer. Still, Dietrich maintained a sturdy grip on the man's hair – not wanting to take any chances.

Dietrich seemed to be counting as Abel lapped eagerly like a puppy on his arm. It was truly a sight to see. As Abel consumed his body healed itself. The broken bones were mending at an alarming exponential rate.

Finally, Dietrich paused from his supposed counting and pulled his arm away. Abel's mouth followed, disappointed at the withdrawal. "Sorry Abel," the boy said callously, "But it appears I'm at my limit" He paused and looked back at the young man, "But it seems like your bones are healing wonderfully."

"Yes," Abel said smoothly, "I'm almost completely healed." A grim smile crossed his face.

_This is it!_ Dietrich thought excitedly, _Mein Heir will be greatly pleased at this development._

**Author's note: Uh...Another short chapter...only 1000 or so words. I've kind of lost interest in this story, but I will continue writing...I firmly believe in finishing what you start. I'll try to finish before college starts...Ok, that was a lie, no way is this going to be finished that early. Anyways, I had to force myself to write this, cus I have not released a chapter for you guys in months...that is not cool man...**

**Anyways, I hope you Review Review Review! I love getting reviews, and I promise to respond!**


	8. Chapter 8

Esther woke up to the smell of smoke. Immediately alarmed she threw the sheets off her and climbed out of bed. Rushing quickly out the door, she rapped quickly on Mary's door.

"Mary! Wake up quickly!" she hissed. A few moments later an equally ginger woman opened the wooden door. Her hair was somewhat tied up, but still a mess.

"Do you smell that?" the young captain asked.

Tiered, but none the less willing, Mary sniffed, inhaling the odor. Immediately her expression became one of the utmost seriousness.

"Shit," She cursed, her eyes hardening. "I smell a fire, we should run to wake the others!"

"Hmmft," Esther pouted," I thought it was only in my head." Straitening up, the captain continued, " You take the left -get everyone out!-, I'll check the brig."

Esther turned to run down the flight of stairs, but was stopped by a firm grip on her shoulder.

"Captain, just leave them, they're prisoners. And then again, there is a monster down there.."

Esther swung around fiercely to face her, "Mary, I appreciate the warning, but the bloody ship is on fire. We don't have time to talk. Run down, get the others, I'll explain later."

Mary was slightly shocked. Regaining her composure, she raced towards the left wing of the hallway to wake Virgil, Vanessa, and Ion.

"Sheesh!" Esther moaned as she turned and raced down the stairs. She didn't see any flames yet, so she figured she had time to check on the prisoners. However, upon opening the door to the brig she was met with a surprising scene.

Esther stopped frozen in her tracks. Before her danced brilliant red and orange flames. They licked the sides of the walls and scorched the ceiling black as they attempted to burn through them.

She quickly snapped out of her fearful state and looked around for the prisoners. After all, there was that monster that needed to be locked up, and Dietrich, the devil with the face of an angel. He was a high priority find. She had intended to bring him back to Albion and receive a massive reward for his arrest. However, none of her prisoners were in the brig. What the young captain had been staring at was the bars. The bars that normally held prisoners were broken and curved outwards. Bent apart so that something the size of a large human could pass through.

Esther gapped in horror. The bars didn't look like they had been cut or sawed, rather, they looked as if they had been twisted and ripped apart. Clearly, this was not the work of any human hand. She could think of only one monster who possessed this kind of ridiculous ability.

Immediately, her mind relapsed into regret. The monster who did this could have done this to her, but, it hadn't. Why not?

She shook those thoughts roughly from her mind as she slammed the door closed and ran from the flames.

Racing up the stairs she was met with her crew an comrades.

"I sent Ion up to ready the lifeboats a while back. He should be ready by now," Mary convayed in a tiered and hoarse voice, "Vanessa and Virgil are behind me with flares, supplies, food and water." She finished breathlessly.

She turned her head to face Esther as they continued running up the stairs. "And the prisoners?"

"They weren't there. I wouldn't be surprised if they started the fire in the first place." Esther sighed.

Mary cursed, "We never should have let them on our ship!"

Finally after what seemed like a long while of running the group reached the deck. Ion was ready at the opposite end, waving his hand to get their attention.

"There's Ion!" Virgil announced delighted. The group ran quickly towards him.

"I've already lowered the boat,"Ion breathed happily, "We've got to hurry though, You probably can see it from here, but the entire back end of this ship is nearly burned."

Esther didn't even bother to look. She grabbed some of the supplies from the twins' hands and threw them quickly together in a large sack. "Ion, no time for talk, lower these items down into the boat. Mary start prepping the rope so we can lower ourselves down also."

"Already done Captain!" The young Ion chirped in quickly.

"Great, alright, lets go."

After the items were quickly loaded. Each member of the crew quickly grabbed a rope and slid down to the lifeboat, careful to keep it from tipping over."

Esther was the last to go.

"Captain! Hurry up!" Ion cried from down below. "That ship is no longer safe, it is going to collapse!"

Mary shouted up at her captain quickly, her voice filled with fear, "Captain hurry up! You may not be able to see it, but from down here it looks really bad!"

Esther turned around quickly to look at her ship. The flames had already caught up with her and the fire danced aboard her deck. She quickly wondered how she hadn't noticed it before now. How had the flames gotten so close so quick?

She quickly secured her rope and jumped , ready to swing down. As she threw her body over the edge she managed to see the top of her ship –the look out- crawling with flames, she could make out a lone figure on the top. It had wings spread out around it, being licked by the golden flames. She gasped quickly as fear spread through out her body.

It was only for a second, but she was sure of what she saw. The angel of death – the creature who had burned her ship. – Her ship!- And her sense of fear was overcome by a great sense of grief as her mind remembered the sails of her once prized ship be burnt and torn in the night.

She was so wrapped up in the thought of her loss, that she missed the lifeboat as she sailed through the air.

"Captain!" someone called.

Esther landed with a splash in the water. When she broke the surface for air, she could hear Mary calling for her.

"Esther! Over here!"

Esther swore she could hear a suppressed giggle in that.

"I can't believe you missed the life boat Captain," Vanessa Walsh squealed delighted.

"And what exactly, dare I ask, is so thrilling about that Miss Walsh?"

That shut her up.

Mary, was busy steadying the boat as Ion Virgil helped Esther climb in.

"What was taking you so long! You have no idea how dangerous that was!" Mary nagged her.

"Oh I'm sure-" her breath stopped as she looked behind her. The colossal ship was burning. Cinders flying off and into the ocean only to be extinguished. It was like a torch in the night, but scarier. It was terrifying. Creaks could be heard as the mammoth of a ship turned quickly into ash and scrap.

The crew waited silently, watching their ship, their life, fall apart.

"One of them lit it," she finally said. "I don't know if it was Dietrich or Abel, but one of them set it and destroyed our home."

Everyone was silent around her.

"Trust me, I will not let this go. I don't take such offenses lightly."

"You here that!" She stood up and screamed at the ash loudly, "I'm going to find you! And I'm going to punish you! You took away our home! Now that is not a position you should be fond of being at!"

"Captain! You're rocking the lifeboat! Sit down," Ion whined.

"Ending a sentence with a preposition…"Virgil noted softly.

"Tchhh.." Vanessa spat.

"Calm down Captain," Mary ushered, however she smiled slightly, knowing she felt the same way."

The idle bickering and noise continued as the crew discussed plans to use the flares to signal for help.

Meanwhile, a dark shadow loomed beyond the ash.

"You had the opportunity to kill her," one voice stated in a sing~songy voice. "You had the chance to kill one of those humans that caused you pain."

The dark shadow hissed lightly before replying, " You heard her, didn't you? She just said she would track me down and make me pay."

The young brunette smiled in a grimm manner.

"So," a smile appeared on the silver haired man's features as well, "I'm sure we'll see her soon."

And then, to himself he mumbled, "_Sorry Lilith, sorry I can't be the man you want me to be. I really tried. Honest. But I can't understand what you saw in them. And don't think, I'm going to let them hurt me again._"

The man beside the monster smirked. Everything was going according to his master's plan.

Well folks, that is 1450 words. If any of you knows my track record for fanfics - this would be considered FLIPPIN AMAZING!. No, I lie, not really. Ok, time for my nappy/study time.

Anyways, I would really appreciate any reviews. (REVIEW DUDES!)

I'd like to thank the following:

L is for Loser: Your review was brutally honest, and I LIKE brutally honest. Good job bro! And thank you for the support! I look forward to any of your future input. =)

2 Stupid: erm…I was referring to Esther…But I get it, I need to work on my writing! I need to be clear with my ideas! Thank you guys for the support. =)

…by the way…really interesting usernames guys…really interesting/silly. =)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 09**

Albion Kingdom's Royal Court:

Esther trembled slightly in both frustration and strain. The day, no, the week, had not been kind to her. No matter how the Her Majesty the Queen tried to sugar coat the issue out of her personal respect for Captain Esther, shame and humiliation hung strongly in the air.

A high ranking member of a fanatic terrorist group of high economic standing, Dietrich von Lohengrin, had managed to escape her capture. In the process he had managed to destroy the scene of the crime as well as possibly procure a dangerous ally.

Esther hung her head and released a built up sigh. It had been luck that had allowed her crew to capture the wanted man, and a heavy price had been paid. Noelle Bor had lost an arm, and hence, had completely left the crew in a state of mixed horror, desperation, and depression. Esther still felt for her recent heavy loss.

Esther blinked away the tears caused by sadness and stress. She straightened and regained her confidant composure. As the Captain, she had a duty to her crew to remain strong in times of crisis.

"I'll walk back in there," she said to herself, "I'll thank Her Majesty the Queen for her levity, generosity, and consideration in the matter." She paused, her voice louder and stronger than before. "And if I am to ever stumble upon the path of Dietrich von Lohengrin again, I will surely make him atone!" The last part was said with such ferocity and passion that the people around her took notice, disrupted by the loud noise. Though Esther had the makings of an adult, she was still a child, and she blushed embarrassed as one upon seeing the multitude of faces turned in her direction.

Behind a marble statue, Mary smiled. She had been worried about her Captain, however, now it was clear her sense of worry had been in vain. Esther was fine. Esther was Esther. For this simple blessing, Mary was grateful.

* * *

Albion Low Priority Housing:

Dietrich walked out of the inn's help desk, a set of keys swirling around his extended finger. A tall young man who seemed to blend in with the shadows looked up expectantly. With a twist of his head, Dietrich motioned towards an outdoor flight of water swollen steps. And without looking back, Dietrich started walking up them. The silver-haired stranger followed an arms-length behind, limping painstakingly.

With a simple click, the two beings vanished into the small room.

* * *

**I'm not sure the direction I'm going to go in with this. I mean, I know how I want the middle and the somewhat-end to be, but I'm not entirely sure how to set it up to get there. Anyways. Later. Sorry it is soooo short. What can I say? I'm a hypocrite. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Albion Main Hospital:

"Thank you for coming to visit me Captain," Noelle Bor whispered softly from her hospital bed. "Truly, it means the world to me."

Esther, unsure of whether she was embarrassed or ashamed, could not manage to make eye contact. "Noelle…"

A pregnant silence followed, neither shipmate willing to make the first gesture of conversation.

"Captain, " Noelle began, "This isn't your fault. None of it is."

The normally strong captain sagged in her bedside chair. "Of course it is Noelle. You lost your arm helping to capture that cold blooded killer," her voice filled with anger and revulsion, "And I let him get away!"

Esther raised her head, only to meet her ex-subordinate's eyes. Esther had expected Noelle to be traumatized from loosing an arm – and more importantly to the sailor – loosing her lifestyle. Instead, Noelle's gaze was strong, fierce, and unrelenting. "Noelle, I should have watched the prisoners better. I should have know that shackles would not hold hell's intellectual spawn.

A smile crossed Noelle's face.

"Captain," her eyes twinkled, "Knowing you, they were watched with every possible precaution available. If Lohengrin escaped, truly, you cannot be at fault."

Esther stared.

"After all, you were running a full ship with only five people! A whole pirate ship and only five people, yourself included." The black haired beauty threw back her head and let out a rich and heart warming laugh. "Not even the best Naval sea captain could ever do what you accomplished. And on top of this ridiculous task, you were vigilantly guarding a well known international terrorist with a history of escape!" She winked, "By god Captain, I'd say 'you never stood a chance', but you would get irrationally angry."

Esther reacted unconsciously with pure mule headed stubbornness. "I would not become angry!" Upon hearing the ferocity of her own words, Esther's hands immediately went to cover her mouth as she let out a squeak of surprise.

Noelle grinned. "Oh my, imagine what Mary would say if she heard that noise!"

Aghast, Esther rebuked, "You wouldn't dare!"

Noelle laughed again, "Of course not Captain. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

Esther let a rare sincere smile cross her features. "Heh," she sighed, "Yeah. I can trust you to keep a secret, can't I."

Noelle nodded in reply. A second silence stretched over a few minutes, during which, Noelle's face became a serious mask.

"The others came to see me earlier, you know?"

Esther looked up, immediately attentive and interested.

"I'm not sure Ion or the siblings knew the whole of it, but privately, Mary told me a significant portion." Noelle paused, waiting for Esther's head-nod to allow her to continue.

"The monster that you saw –"

Esther immediately cut her off, "-Was probably a drug induced product of my imagination. Please don't tell anyone about this. I need all the credibility I can get in order to convince the bank to lend me enough money to finance a second ship."

"Captain, that isn't what I meant."

Esther's eyebrow skyrocketed.

"Captain, you should not doubt your eyes; nor should you doubt your heart. What you saw on that ship was indeed as real as you and me."

Esther didn't say a word.

Noelle's voice continued in a deadpan tone, "There are stories Captain, from my childhood, from heretic society in which I was raised."

"Gypsies," Esther whispered under her breath. That name itself could conjure up bad intentions if spoken to loud.

"Yes, Gypsies."

"Please," Esther murmured, "Tell me what you know, or what you think you know."

Noelle nodded and continued, "My family aren't Gypsies in the traditional sense of the word; however, we hold much in common with our ancestors. We share the same appearance, attitudes, and mythology." The black haired beauty shifted in her sheets, "My grandmother use to tell me of this belief that predates to the ancient technological age, when man still understood the workings of machines."

The young woman reached behind her pillow and withdrew a leather clad book, worn and torn by possibly centuries of use.

Esther sucked in a deep breath. She recognized the binding. _A forbidden book of the heretics._ "Noelle," the red haired captain ushered with a sense of warning.

"Forgive me Captain, but it is for your safety that I relay this information to you," she paused, "regardless of its origins." She took a deep breath, the contents of the book apparently enough to even scare the owner. "During the technological age people strived to create creatures, similarly to how we struggle to create machines and tools. Many years of research and study went into their creation. They were created with a single purpose in mind; to watch and guard the sanctity of human life. Centuries of advancement, and four beings were produced."

The black haired beauty started idly flipping between pages. "One was given property of the sea, the second was given the sky, the third was given domain of the land."

"I thought you said there were four beings?" Esther questioned. "Well, what did the fourth one receive?"

"The soul," Noelle breathed, "The fourth received domain over the soul."

"You know you speak blasphemy Noelle, please control your tongue. Only god controls the workings of the soul. Only he and The Lady"

"Yes," Noelle replied, "The Lady and the Fourth are one in the same. She was supposedly kind, beautiful, and pitied humanity." For a second Noelle seemed consumed in thought, "Or that is how the Church portrayed her anyways."

A light knock was heard at the door. Both Esther and Noelle jumped slightly from their seats mildly alarmed. Noelle quickly hid the leather-clad book back behind her pillow.

"Come in," Esther said warily.

The door opened to reveal Mary in the entryway. "I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, and not to belittle your importance Mrs. Bor, but we have an appointment at the bank within the hour. Captain, we should get going now, if possible."

Ether rose to accompany her lieutenant, when Noelle grabbed her arm and pulled her down quickly.

"Captain, beware, I believe you have encountered the second son, the most violent of the group. He has the strength of a heathen god and the experience of many of your lifetimes. He is an animal, but an exceedingly important one. If Lohengrin has truly brought it to his side, it could unbalance the system of our world." Noelle leaned closer, the stub of her lost limb beginning to show speckles of red against the bandages, "Esther, the last time the balance was lost, the world went into the war time age. Human beings as we are, cannot survive such destruction again."

Esther softly removed the other woman's arm. "I understand Noelle. I understand."

"Please," there was desperation in Noelle's eyes, "The remaining three cannot reunite. The only reason we survived the siege of the three in the last war was because of The Lady." The black haired woman sighed, and immediately looked years older, "The Lady is gone. She cannot save us anymore."

Esther stared at her shipmate for a moment. "I promise Noelle. I will do everything I can, and then," she smiled, "And then perhaps I will do a little bit more." Esther patted the sheets softly. "Trust me, and get better Noelle."

* * *

Abel was dreaming. At least, he thought he was dreaming. There was no way that Lilith could be so alive and carefree in the world of the wakeful. Abel and his siblings had made sure of that many lifetimes ago.

But she was before him now, as stunning as she had been in his memory. Her hair was a shade so similar to Esther's, laid against tan Indian skin. Her body was draped in white robes, given to her by the Church, her allies in her cause.

She stood before him now, a solidarity figure against the imageless dreamscape. Abel kept his eyes wide, afraid that if he blinked, the image of his adored would be gone. She seemed more real than ever before. And she seemed even more lifelike when she opened her mouth to speak.

"Abel."

He froze. Time stopped, or slowed down, he wasn't sure. She _never_ spoke in his dreams. He hadn't realized how much he missed the sound of her voice, neither accusing nor reprimanding.

"Abel, how have you been?"

His voice was caught indefinitely in his throat. Words couldn't describe what he was thinking, if he was even thinking at all. This woman caused him to feel emotions so strong they could extinguish any flame of anger or rage.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he muttered, "Lilith."

She smiled faintly at the recognition of her name. That smile lit up Abel's spirits and gave him the courage and reassurance to speak. "I've missed you."

Her deep eyes softened momentarily, "I know."

Abel frowned slightly. "I gave them a chance Lilith. I tried really hard. Even when I was bound in shackles that dug at my ankles and wrists. Even when they left me to die on that prisoner boat. Even when they shot and hurt me after I had saved one of their own. They called me a monster, and," his voice choked up before finishing with a growl, "and they are the real monsters. They just can't see it in themselves."

During his brief monologue, Lilith's form had moved closer, edging towards him with open arms, wide and accepting. "Sshhhh," she cooed softly, taking his head into her waiting arms. "I know."

"I just don't see how you can feel the way you do about them. Foolish Terrans."

She drew back from him momentarily, and the fair-haired youth cursed himself for offending her. "Abel," she said seriously, "I know what it may look like to you, trust me, I know. But," she whispered while staring straight into his eyes, "You must also look at the situation from their perspective."

Abel cocked a mocking eyebrow. He immediately regretted it when he saw her frown.

"Every single creature on earth has something that terrifies them. The squirrels fear the cats, the bugs fear the birds, deer fear the humans. Never mind that humans probably didn't feel the need to eat that particular deer. In that specific case, the fear is irrational. But none the less, the animal runs, flees, or lashes out at the thing they perceived to be a threat."

"So. You're saying that they aren't monsters, just animals."

"No," she sighed, "They are like you."

"Pfft," he spat, "They are nothing like me."

"Really," she questioned. "I seem to recall one time someone scared you to the point that you sought to kill him."

Regret crossed Abel's features. "I don't want to talk about that," he stated hoarsely.

"Abel."

"I'm done dreaming! It is time for me to wake up!" he shouted at no one in particular before turning away from her.

Then he heard her, barely more than a whisper, "He is still alive, you know?"

Abel froze in his tracks. A shiver skirted up his spine. _Him_. Eyes wide, he turned to face the woman he had adored, only to find she had disappeared. And then, the dreamscape shattered.

* * *

Vanessa and Ion were exploring the local market late in the day.

"Ion, do you really need that little trinket?" asked Vanessa Walsh playfully. "It's a bit pricey, and our ship did just burn down, we could save the money for something important like lodging, or food, or-"

"No," Ion cut in, "I'm going to get it. All we lost was a ship. A ship can be replaced. Noelle lost her entire arm a while back. I'm going to get her a little something."

Vanessa's playful act was dropped. _I never imagined the thought behind the gift._

Ion continued to ramble on, "And well, It has pretty much stunted her career as a sailor, at least for a while. We're not going to be able to see her, but I want her to remember me a bit. And maybe remind her that we remember her too. I'm going to get it Vanessa, whether you want me to or n-"

This time Vanessa cut him off, "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. I get it Ion. Here, I'll pitch in a bit too." She quickly thrust some money into his hand and stalked off through the crowded market.

* * *

Dietrich rapped lightly on the swollen wood door.

"Come in," said a soft voice from inside.

Dietrich pushed the door open softly and stalked across the room to stand opposite of his sitting fair-haired acquaintance.

"Abel Nightroad, it pleases me to see you fully recovered."

The sitting man let out a muffled snort.

Dietrich arched an eyebrow, questioning the man.

"I'm not anywhere near 'fully' recovered," he stated plainly, "However, I appreciate your blood sacrifice. It-," he looked upwards slightly as if he were trying to recall something, "It was sufficient in relieving the majority of the pain, and in the end helped me to escape. For that Terran, I am in your debt."

Years of perfecting his poker face allowed Dietrich to keep the sly smile off of his face. _His lord's brother owed him a favor. How quaint_. Quickly the thought was gone, and all that remained was the mission. "There are some things I need to make clear to you," the devilish boy stated plainly.

"Yes," Abel replied in all seriousness.

"It is probably beneficial to my own well being to be completely upfront and honest with you." _After all, you could squash me. However, on second thought, you wouldn't get away unscratched._ "I work for an organization called the RCO, the Rosen Kruez Orden."

"And I care because?" Abel drawled out dismissively.

_Arrogant little abomination._ "My organization is tasked with creating events that benefit the Old World Order's legacy. We seek to see you gods return to your rightful stations over the world's divisions." _And quite possibly further my own ambitions._

"And what events, dare I ask, are you lot planning now?"

Dietrich smiled, and a glimmer of self satisfaction touched his eyes. "I plan on paying a visit to the queen of Albion."

* * *

**Yes. I'm aware that it has been almost a full year since I updated. And, yes, I'm aware that I should care, feel sorry, and possibly provide more than a measly 2360 words for you to consume. But then again, the fandom for this particular book/tv show is practically dead, and the only reason I have to update this is because I refuse to not finish something I start. For those handful of people 4-5 at the most, thank you for your continued support and I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. I certainly tried. **

**As a side note. I've discovered that torturing the main character is an excellent way to get the plot moving along nicely. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

"Well," said William Walter Wordsworth tiredly, "It looks like you have all the necessary paperwork and a legitimate loan. Come with me Esther, I'll show you to the ship. She is an old vessel, but a resilient one."

"Thank you Mr. Wordsworth," Esther muttered softly, "I know you could have easily over charged me, but instead you gave me a great deal, I am truly grateful."

William turned to look at her with a surprised expression. "Nonesense my lady, I've heard of your reputation and your history. Despite falling from the Navy's good graces, the people say you are honorable. From the rumors I hear," he smiled softly, "I can think of no greater Captain worth my ship."

William and Esther stopped at the dock, both looking up in awe.

"I present you with, " Walter said, "With the Iron Maiden!"

Esther's lip quivered. "Mr. Wordsworth," she stammered, "This is beautiful, a work of art."

At this, a knowing smile quirked William's lips. "Esther," he turned and took her hands in his, "I have one request."

"Yes?"

William smiled gently, "Take care of her."

Suddenly a woman appeared on the edge of Esther's vision. "Who is that?" she asked, her head nodding in the direction of the figure.

William looked over his shoulder. "Oh," his voice flattened to a professional level. "That is Kate Scott. She comes with the ship."

Esther frowned noticeably at this comment. "People aren't sell-able Mr. Wordsworth." Her eyes trained back to the waving woman with golden brown hair.

"That wasn't my intention." William removed his glasses, and began wiping mist from the ocean port off of them. "She is a native of Albion, and has grown up alongside this ship with the family that use to own it. It would be correct to say, the ship is a part of her." His voice lowered considerably to an almost inaudible whisper, "I can't take something like that away from her."

Esther nodded knowingly. "It is alright Mr. Wordsworth. I need the assistance anyways."

He smiled gratefully in reply.

Esther smiled back.

"Now," William said, "Let me give you a tour of the ship."

Out of nowhere, Mary ran up to the two. She stopped, put her hands on her knees, and panted heavily. "Esther-" she gasped, "It is terrible. The queen-" she caught her breath a second time, "Her majesty has been murdered."

* * *

Dietrich von Lohengrin looked over his shoulder at the man following him. The almost silver haired man appeared to be sulking, leaving Dietrich to ponder as to why.

Finally, he decided to get it over with and ask. "Abel, is something the matter? Did you not approve of the blood sacrifice?" Dietrich repeated the question when Abel didn't respond.

Abel looked up surprised. His mind had clearly been elsewhere. "What? – Oh. I'm all right. Everything is fine."

Dietrich turned back to face forward. He cocked an eyebrow in question. _Anyone with two cents can tell that something is bothering it. If I were somehow responsible for it changing sides…If mein Herr were to find out about such a thing-. _Dietrich forcefully changed his line of thinking. He could not let something that disastrous happen. Having the Master's brother side with them had been beyond luck itself. He would not screw this up. The man held a lot of anger, and Dietrich knew how to harness it for his own ends.

Dietrich smiled to himself wickedly. Everything would be alright.

* * *

A average height woman in a sleek business suite and long beautiful blond hair, stopped Esther and Mary at the palace's doors.

"I'm sorry," she said forcefully, "You are not authorized to enter my crime scene."

Esther tried a second time to barrel through the guards, "I need to see! The queen was a close comrade of mine."

"Comrade of yours?" the older woman questioned. "Esther Blanchett, ex Naval officer, now borderline criminal? I think Her Majesty would not consort with someone who could damage her image so much."

Esther's strong facade dropped momentarily, revealing a hurt expression. "Please," her voice begged, "Despite my financial alliances, my loyalty still lies with the queen."

The older woman arched a critical eyebrow. "Really," she drawled mockingly unbelieving. "How do I know you aren't the culprit of this murder and are trying to remove evidence from the scene?"

"Please," Esther said, "I need to see her. Earlier I was carrying an extremist for prison transport trade, however he escaped." Her eyes shown with strength and ferocity, "I must confirm whether or not this murder was committed by him. He has a-" she waved her hand in the air, trying to grasp the right word, "Almost a certain signature on his kills. A certain mark to distinguish it as his work."

"And I'll repeat," the woman said, "How do I know it wasn't YOU who committed the murder?"

Esther grabbed her arms and looked deep into the other blond woman's eyes, "I have an alibi. Truly, I wasn't here. I was over at Mr. Wordsworth's ship yard making a purchase."

The older woman's face immediately transformed from stern and cynical to compassionate. "Mr. Wordsworth. Really." She took a big breath, "Alright Esther, let me make the call to confirm. For security precautions I must check." Then she turned back to Esther. "Did he perhaps sell you a ship?" she questioned.

"Ah..." Esther murmured a bit caught off guard, "Well, yes. He sold me the Iron Maiden."

"Oh," the older woman spoke as she walked over to the phone and began to dial, "That is quite an impressive ship."

Esther waited patiently while the woman talked to William Walter Wordsworth over the phone. After a few short minutes the beautiful blond woman strode over to where Esther stood waiting. The woman stuck out her hand to shake Esther's.

"Well, Mrs. Blanchett, my name is Caterina Sforza, I'm currently in charge of this investigation. My close friend tells me you are to be trusted." She took Esther's hand in her own, "Now, let me show you the crime scene. Perhaps you can shed some light on this disaster."

Swiftly, she turned and strode down the arched corridor. Esther glanced at Mary and the two followed suite.

* * *

Abel sat on his rickety bed with his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. Hunched over the edge, his mind kept going back to the queen's private chambers.

He had watched as the brunette Dietrich had used his strange puppeteer-like wires to force the queen's own soldiers into torturing her, and then killing themselves.

Abel had expected himself to revel in the pleasure of inflicting suffering on the leader of the Terrans who had abused him, but had instead found himself sickened.

Perhaps it was Dietrich's use of her own soldiers against her. Perhaps the thought of someone so close to her, inflicting an act of such brutal betrayal, struck a chord deeper than he himself realized. After all, betrayal was what _he_ did.

The queen hadn't panicked when she'd seen his true form either. Her eyes simply filled with knowledge and a twinge of surprise. However, her gaze did not once show revulsion. Abel twitched at the thought. That understanding attitude struck too close to home.

"Lilith," he murmured to the empty room, " What do I do?"

* * *

**Word Count: 1220**

**Surprise another update. Which is rare for me. It is a small update, but better than nothing.**

**Please Review. I would really appreciate it.**


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